Mount seniors network with accomplished professionals

Manny Dizon, Vice President – Fixed Income with National Bank of Canada Financial (far right), shared business tips with Mount Saint Mary College seniors.

With graduation in sight, Mount Saint Mary College seniors got a jump on their professional networking at two recent Real World Connections events.

Hosted by the college’s Career Center, the Real World Connections series unites seniors of all majors with professionals in a variety of fields, including high profile recruiters and successful alumni. The reception-like gatherings provide a low pressure environment for students to mingle with the professionals.

In total, about 30 professionals, including successful Mount alumni, networked with about 150 total Mount students.

Patrick Legare ’92, a writer and editor with the cable company Home Box Office (HBO), said that making contacts and taking internships are the “single most important things” in obtaining a job with big companies like HBO. “As a student, I wish I had known more about the importance of internships,” he said.

Legare puts his Mount communications major to use in writing program descriptions for HBO products found on iTunes, Amazon, HBO On-Demand, and more. “The Mount is the place where I really grew,” he explained, and he thanked his professors for being a major part of his evolution as a student.

Delisa Johnson, a psychologist with the FBI, shared her professional experiences with Mount Saint Mary College seniors.

Noelle DeLuca ’09, a senior associate at KPMG, reminded students that networking can be an even more powerful tool if connections are kept fresh. “Keep in contact with the people you meet, because you never know what it might lead to,” she said.

She added that students who are trying to earn a certification should do so as quickly as possible. “Go strong. Don’t try to wait until after you get experience at work because other things are going to come up. Don’t get into a situation where you have to keep putting it off.”

Joe Andryshak MBA ’17, a professional healthcare representative of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, encouraged students to “have a plan coming out of school. Think about what you really want to do, and do it.”

The Mount’s Career Center prepares students for varied career opportunities in the Hudson Valley, New York City, the Capital Region, and beyond.

Joe Andryshak MBA ’17, a professional healthcare representative of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, gave current Mount Saint Mary College students plenty of advice on how to be successful in the work world.